Page:Life and unparalleled voyages and adventures of Ambrose Gwinnett (1).pdf/18

 being rendered almost inaccessible by rocks, except at one little inlet, just large enough to admit a single vessel, they defied the Spanish power.

The captain was one Bryan Walsh, an Irishman, whom I cannot help calling a most execrable and bloody villain, though the Almighty put it into his heart to be a very good friend to me. When I was brought into the ship, and immediately after into the captain’s cabin, the first person that accosted me was one of the fellows that broke out of the prison, and had formerly been under my care. He knew me directly; and, without more ado, drawing out his dagger, aimed a stroke at me, which, falling on my neck, entered deep into the flesh, and must infallibly have put an end to my life had not the captain prevented it by raising his cane between him and me, and broke the force of the blow. From that moment, he seemed to take me under his protection. At his own request, I gave him a history of my own life, which astonished him greatly; but notwithstanding I pleaded hard to go on shore again, he absolutely refused; and, in spite of all my entreaties, brought me to the island and fortification I have already mentioned, where, finding I could read and write, two qualifications he wanted himself, he thought I might be of use to him.

I have already said that with these people I remained nearly four years; on land, I acted as storekeeper, and, at sea, as a sort of purser to the ship. I may observe, that there was always a sufficient number of hands left on the island to man the fort, which was so situated as effectually to prevent the approach of the enemy. Indeed, the office of storekeeper was a place of great trust. You would hardly credit me were I to attempt to tell you of the immense riches these robbers had amassed together. One article alone will be sufficient to give you an idea of it. Under one shcd, I counted three thousand cight hundred bales of English goods; and I may safely dcclare, that in other merchandise, of almost every kind, they